Digital Commons Network^™

Exploration Of Drive For Leanness In Relation To Drives For Thinness And Muscularity, As Well As Their Concurrent Associations With Health-Related Outcomes, Brittany Lang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drive for leanness, the motivation to build lean muscle,as well as obtain low enough body fat content for this muscle to be seen, is a nascent drive construct compared to the more established drives for thinness and muscularity. What little research has been done on drive for leanness has suggested that drive for leanness is more sex neutral, as well as potentially more adaptive,than the other drive variables. However, there is debate regarding the factor structure of drive for leanness, or more specifically,whether drive for leanness is its own unique construct or if it is better described as an amalgamation …

Evaluating Small-Scale Simulation For Teaching Abduction Prevention Skills, Jessica E. Ritzmann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 1,600 attempted kidnappings occurred within 2018 (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2019). In a 2016 report by Wolak, Finkelhor, and Sedlak, of the 105 stereotypical kidnappings that occurred in 2011, many resulted in sexual assault, the children are never found, or death. These dangerous circumstances warrant a method of teaching safety skills to children to avoid abduction. Research has shown that small-scale simulation is effective for teaching firearm safety to 3- to 5-year-olds children (Maxfield, Miltenberger, & Novotny, 2019). This research has not been applied to abduction prevention safety. The current study aimed to address this research …

Redefining Representations Of Trauma & Modes Of Witnessing In Damon Lindelof’S The Leftovers, Mariana Delgado

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project aims to better understand how and why traumatized subjectivity is framed by The Leftovers’ fictional narrative in a visual and sonic form that rejects these modes of representations of trauma that they themselves have become conventional tropes. This thesis proposes to further examine the way the moving image, specifically the televised image, contributes to our perceived notions of trauma aesthetics through The Leftovers’ use of monologues, along with how and why suffering is sonically framed by the exchange of silence and Max Richter’s minimalist score.

Modernist aesthetics have become the disruptive expectations of contemporary Western cinematic audiences as …

Developing Design Elements For A Parkinson’S Disease Informative Website: A Social Marketing Approach, Emilie R. Madsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease with no known cause or cure. No two cases are identical, meaning that every individual will present different symptoms and will have a different progression of the disease. Me Over PD is an initiative created to aid newly diagnosed PD patients and care partners in navigating the complexities surrounding the disease and live a more informed life with PD. Considering Me Over PD, the present research works to understand the experiences of PD patients and care partners upon diagnosis and after, and gauge what elements and information would be most beneficial to these individuals …

Training Observers In Class-Wide Behavior Data Collection Using Behavior Skills Training, Nicholas L. Scheel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Training individuals to conduct classroom observations typically requires practice in an analogue setting using one or a combination of strategies, including behavior vignettes, role-play, or video clips of target behaviors (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007; Hartmann & Wood, 1990; Bass, 1987). However, researchers have yet to determine if these strategies are effective and to develop a standard approach to training observers. This investigation was a part of a larger study that looked at the effectiveness of tiered teacher training to facilitate implementation of an interdependent group contingency in the classroom. For this study, I utilized a concurrent multiple-baseline design to …

Aligning Voice And Communication With Identity – A Survey On Transgender And Gender Diverse Populations, Rachel T. Chalom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This research has two goals. The first goal is to examine transgender (TG) and gender diverse (GD) voice and communication functioning and the impact of voice on their everyday lives. The second goal is to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs speech-language pathologists (SLP) have about the TG and GD community and to investigate the relationship between self- and listener-perception and its correspondence to quality of life (QoL).

Methods: A total of 59 participants took part in this research. The research was separated into two parts, the first included 24 TG and GD individuals who participated in a Qualtrics …

The Role Of Threat And Efficacy In Anti-Vaping Ads: A Test Of The Extended Parallel Process Model, Ryan Noone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Often thought of as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarette use among youth and young adults has steadily increased over the past 10 years. With over 34 percent of high school students and over 7.8 percent of young adults using electronic cigarettes, organizations like the CDC and the FDA have created campaigns and advertisements to combat the epidemic (Truth Initiative). This study uses a 2x2 between subject factoral experiment to gain insights into how varying levels of anti-vaping advertisements’ threat and efficacy elements effect college age students’ perceptions and behaviors towards e-cigarettes. While several of the study’s hypotheses …

A Dangerous New Era: Analyzing The Impact Of Cyber Technology On International Conflict, Kenneth Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the causal relationship between cyber technology’s deep global integration and changes in how states struggle for power in the international system. Specifically, it argues that cyber technology has changed international conflict by providing external actors the ability to penetrate states’ grand strategy decision-making and implementation processes to an unprecedented degree and scope. As a result, the meaning of power has changed from a material-centric metric to one that is more nuanced and difficult to measure.

To explore this hypothesis, the study follows a three-step process. First, it examines the history of cyber technology, how it has become …

Medical Model Vs. Eco-Behavioral Model: School Psychologists’ Conceptualization Of Consultation, Patricia Y. Hanson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which school psychologists conceptualize culturally responsive consultation based on their description of using an ecological approach or an intrapsychic approach to consultation. Additionally, this study aimed to address barriers school psychologists may face when providing culturally responsive consultation based on the consultation method they describe using. I conducted a secondary analysis of 1 to 2-hour, semi-structured interviews of 15 school psychologists throughout the United States. I used a constructivist paradigm to understand participants’ approaches to consultation and how these approaches related to their descriptions of culturally responsive consultation. I …

Impact Of Heat-Related Illness And Natural Environments On Behavioral Health Related Emergency And Hospital Utilization In Florida, Natasha Kurji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral health disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States and are known to have multidimensional effect on wellbeing. Several environmental factors are known to impact behavioral health such as weather (i.e. heat) and access to natural environments (i.e. parks and beaches). The study goals were to identify contextual factors that increase the co-occurrence of heat-related illness and behavioral health disorders, illustrate the re-utilization patterns of these co-occurring cases in Florida emergency and inpatient settings, and explore the association between behavioral health disorders such as anxiety and depression, and natural environments such as parks and beaches. The …

Family Response To A Diagnosis Of Serious Mental Illness In Teens And Young Adults: A Multi-Voiced Narrative Analysis, Douglas J. Engelman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Narratives are stories, stories persuade, persuasion is necessary to develop social problem consciousness, and social problem consciousness is a necessary element of mobilization toward social change. Thus, narratives are intrinsic to social change, both in the form of policy and legislation, and as evidenced by transformations in culture and consciousness. In this dissertation I analyze narratives about mental illness in families because they reflect what we think of as common, everyday understandings about these experiences. Through these analyses, I hope to learn how individuals and families understand the diagnosis of mental illness through stories they tell about how they cope …

Students’ Experience With Interleaved Homework In High School Mathematics, Carrie Toreky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been discussion for many years about how much homework teachers give or whether they ought to give it at all. Some studies have shown that homework has a positive effect on high school students’ learning as measured by achievement tests or course grades. Additionally, there is an increasing interest among educators, policy makers, and researchers to identify instruction that can raise achievement levels and promote equity.

This study used an exploratory embedded comparative case design. The case study approach was used to explore students’ overall experiences with interleaved homework in high school mathematics classes. The subunits for this …

A Prospective Examination Of Psychosocial Outcomes Following Gynecomastia Surgery, D. Luis Ordaz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gynecomastia is a condition in which 3% of males will go on to develop permanent excess breast tissue and has been associated with a number of psychosocial consequences. In recent years, gynecomastia surgery has been in the top 5 cosmetic procedures sought out by men. There is a limited amount of research regarding psychosocial outcomes of gynecomastia surgery despite the large number of men seeking surgery, and the current literature on outcomes has yet to examine chest satisfaction within the context of gynecomastia surgery. The current study sought to add to the treatment literature on gynecomastia by examining chest satisfaction, …

The Weekly Challenger, June 11, 2020, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The June 11, 2020, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Assessing The Impacts Of Sensorimotor Stimuli And Nicotine Content On Cravings And Other Outcomes Of E-Cigarette Use, Amanda M. Palmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As use rates of e-cigarettes continue to rise, especially among cigarette smokers, there remains concern that “dual use” may lead to increased dependence and hinder smoking cessation efforts. At the same time, emerging evidence suggests clinical efficacy of e-cigarettes. The role of nicotine must be considered, in addition to non-pharmacologic influences, such as expectancies or conditioned reinforcers. Sensorimotor stimuli associated with drug delivery have been demonstrated to produce cigarette and e-cigarette craving reduction, even without the nicotine. The purpose of the present study was to parse the influences of nicotine and sensorimotor delivery on various outcomes of e-cigarette use, including …

Nurses And Needlesticks: Perceptions Of Stigma And Hiv Risk, Bethany Sharon Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Health-care providers (HCPs) are vulnerable to occupational health hazards, including dirty needle-stick injuries (DNSIs), which increase the risk for infection with HIV and other blood-borne pathogens. This study examines the perceptions of nurses and nurse practitioners who work in various health care settings regarding HIV-risk and DNSIs, in order to ascertain how these perceptions inform their decision-making regarding their health and nursing practice. I utilize a phenomenological approach to analyze the lived reality and embodiment of the DNSI experience by HCPs. The study explores the personal and institutional level factors that may influence the timely reporting and treatment of DNSIs, …

Balance Function: A Potential Early Indicator Of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Karen L. Bell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined oculomotor and vestibular function in young adults, cognitively normal older adults (CNOA), and older adults with MCI. Oculomotor and vestibular function were assessed using videonystagmography (VNG), vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs), the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance (mCTSIB), and the Fukuda Stepping test. Forty-two participants comprised three groups (young adults, n = 15; CNOA, n = 13; MCI, n = 14). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment ([MoCA]; Nasreddine et al., 2005) was used to assess cognitive status, and a MCI diagnosis was confirmed using standardized neuropsychological testing and a physician’s exam. MANOVA was calculated to …

The Immediate Effect Of A Brief Mindfulness Intervention On Attention And Acceptance, Xiaoqian Yu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the increased popularity of mindfulness in both the clinical settings and the general public, it is important to understand the active mechanisms of mindfulness. Mindfulness practice (MP) involves two active components, attention regulation and acceptance of experience, being aware of the current experience as it is without evaluating the experience as positive or negative. Much research has evaluated the attention regulation component and found that MP improves high-level (effortful) attention with few reported effects on low-level (automatic) attention. It is unclear whether MP affects merely low- or high-level attention, or both, because little empirical research has examined both low- …

Depression, Music Choice, And Affective Outcomes In Daily Life, Sunkyung Yoon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Persons with depression consistently report a preference for sad music. Are such preferences maladaptive or beneficial? We tested this question in a 3-part study that examined 77 participants’ (39 with and 38 without clinical depression) music choice in daily life, affective outcomes, and the reasons for music choice. During a 3-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA), participants chose a song from a pre-set music library of happy and sad songs and rated their affect before and after hearing the chosen song. In addition, we analyzed the characteristics (e.g., tempo) of participants’ free song choices over 7 days (from participants’ Spotfiy music …

Non-Invasive Sex Determination And Genotyping Of Transgenic Brugia Malayi Larvae, Santiago E. Hernandez Bojorge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lymphatic filariasis is a very painful and disfiguring helminth disease caused by the tissue nematodes Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori. This parasitosis is considered a Neglected Tropical Disease and it is a major public health burden for 72 tropical countries of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and South America. Despite the effectiveness of many control programs, there remains the need to develop new pharmacological agents to treat lymphatic filariasis, as most programs rely on a limited variety of drugs that are expensive, logistically difficult to obtain, and can lead to drug resistance. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic …

The Reggio Emilia And The Mosaic Approach: Opponents Or Allies In Multimodal Teaching And Learning? A Discussion Of Their Contribution To Multimodal Learning In Early Years Education, Neuza Brandao, Evgenia Theodotou

Journal of Global Education and Research

Multimodality is an important element of teaching and learning in early years settings. It provides opportunities for young children to communicate using different resources they feel comfortable with. This paper focuses on multimodality and multimodal learning in early years education and the different approaches, which can be used to create a multimodal learning environment. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how two powerful approaches, such as the Reggio Emilia and the Mosaic allow multimodal learning, which is crucial for children’s holistic development. The Reggio Emilia approach and the Mosaic approach are discussed, focusing on the strategies used to …

Breaking Silence: The Voices Of Syrian Refugee Children In The Canadian Classroom, Sara Shahbazi, Alyssa Palazzolo, Geri Salinitri

Journal of Global Education and Research

The researchers in the study explored the lived experiences of Syrian refugee students in the Canadian classroom. The participant sample included four students who entered their first year in a South-western Ontario public school as of the 2015-2016 calendar year. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Analysis of results indicated the District’s growing need for understanding refugee students using a holistic approach, utilizing and building peer relationships for language acquisition, and recognizing the effects of the structure of the learning environment on student experiences.

A Proposed Literature-Based Syllabus For Eap Writing, Kyle Perkins, Xuan Jiang

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper proposes a literature-based composition course for advanced Non-native English Speaking (NNES) students in an English for Academic Purpose (EAP) program and provides a rationale, a syllabus, and some suggested pedagogy for consideration. The principal reasons for choosing a literature-based format include the following: (1) extended writing about a text, or texts, should lead to reading comprehension improvement; (2) culturally responsive literature should enhance engagement; (3) reading literature, as writerly reading, will assist NNES students with developing strategies applied to reading-to-write tasks and to integrated writing skills; (4) reading for writing (RFW) will expose NNES students to a wide …

Learning To Survive: Wicked Problem Education For The Anthropocene Age, William J. F. Keenan

Journal of Global Education and Research

This article addresses major lacunae in higher education from the standpoint of Anthropocenic survival. Wicked problems transcend national, cultural and disciplinary boundaries. Eco-survival, international migration, destabilized global markets, shifts in the balance of strategic power, population pressures, cultural imperialism, post-secular quests for meaning-in-life, ambivalence of bio-scientific progress, to name a selection, are global. The case is put that features of a postmodern orientation to the academic curriculum—transdisciplinarity, transnationalism, wicked problem engagement—are better equipped to meet the fuzzy knowledge interests of tomorrow’s world than traditional mono-disciplinary curricula. However, both subject-based and transdisciplinary approaches can coexist with profit in the education …

The Interactive Effects Of Associative Response Priming And Personality Traits On Insight Problem Solving Over Time, Yu-Chu Yeh, Pei-Hsin Li, Chung-Wei Lin

Journal of Global Education and Research

Priming effect is, in a great part, an implicit learning mechanism; it may influence insight problem solving both consciously and unconsciously. The present study investigates interactions between personality traits and priming effects in insight problem solving involving novel object associations in complex situations over time. Based on the findings of past literature, a two-path (conscious vs. unconscious process) model exploring the moderation effects of two personality traits (emotional creativity and Big Five personality traits) were analyzed in this study. One hundred and fifteen college students participated in a randomized block design experiment (non-primed vs. primed) which included three runs of …

Predictors Of Nonadherence To Radiation Therapy Schedules Among Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Jennifer Lynn Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonadherence to radiation therapy schedules is a documented problem among head and neck cancer patients. This retrospective dissertation study examined whether demographics, clinical characteristics, or physical and psychological symptoms were related to nonadherence in head and neck cancer patients. The electronic medical records of 262 head and neck cancer patients at a southeastern U.S. cancer center were reviewed to determine whether nonadherence was related to symptom scores and other patient and clinical-related factors. Nonadherent patients were more likely to be female, be admitted to the cancer center as inpatients during treatment and receive outpatient IV fluids during treatment. Nonadherent patients …

Curation As Methodology, Lindsay Persohn

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

The term curation was once only utilized by museum professionals. Currently, the term seems to have been borrowed by aesthetically-minded persons looking to collect ideas or objects. Through a detailed account of one curatorial process, this article aims to convey the richness of context, the depth of connection, and the promotion of new ideas classically associated with curation. Drawing on these methods, the author begins to develop an outline of curation as a transferrable methodology, useful for exploration of aesthetic works as they related to sociocultural histories. As an exemplar collection of artworks, illustrations of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in …

Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa As Expressions Of Shame In A Post-Feminist, Emily Kearns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa are heavily gendered conditions affecting women to a far greater degree than men in a post-millennium Western setting. The psychologistic and medicalized approaches to studying and treating these disorders do not account for socio-cultural and epistemic preferences. This paper draws a connection between shame (as emotion and affect) and these gendered disorders. Further, this work analyzes neo-liberalism, post-feminism, and consumerism as predatory elements of Western culture especially affecting women.

Editing The Self Away: The Effects Of Photo Manipulation On Perceptions Of The Self, Roxanne N. Felig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of editing applications to manipulate photos of one’s self prior to sharing them on social media has skyrocketed over the past decade, particularly among women. However, there is little research examining the consequences of such behavior. In this research, we experimentally examined the consequences of editing a photo of one’s self on self-objectification and self-concept clarity in a sample of 231 women. A correlational Pilot Study provided preliminary evidence for a relationship between self-objectification, self-concept clarity, and photo manipulation, and my Thesis was conducted to further explore this relationship. We anticipated that when women were exposed to objectifying …

The Weekly Challenger, May 14, 2020, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The May 14, 2020, issue of The Weekly Challenger.